20 Hours
by My blue rose
Summary: Shuuichi has been suspicious of his brother ever since the parasite youkai left. Driven by fear and curiosity he delves deeper into his brothers mysterious life and gets kidnapped by a old enemy. Kurama will do anything to save him, but will he be in time?
1. Prologue

**My blue rose: In Japan all the grades are a year ahead age wise than their American counterparts (e.g. 7th graders are 13, 11th graders are 16 etc.) Jr. High & High school are three years long. Jr. High starts in 7th grade; High school starts in 10th grade. Compulsorily education ends at junior high and you have to take hard examinations to get into a good high school.**

**In the manga and the anime when we first meet Shuuichi he was 13 and in his first year of Jr. High school and it was then that he was controlled by the parasite youkai. Kurama was 17 and in his third year of high school at this time (when we first meet him he is 15 and in his first year of high school). **

**This fic takes place three years after on the manga timeline so the year is 1997 (hence the Nintendo references) and Yusuke, Kuwabara and Keiko are 18. Shuuichi is 15 and in his first year of high school. Kurama is 20 and working for his stepfathers company (in the manga at the end, Yusuke asks Kurama why he didn't go to collage and he said that his stepfather has him pretty interested in his company.)**

* * *

**Prologue: My Big Brother **

Many little brothers say that they're afraid of their older brothers, but only because they think that he might beat them up or not let them read their porn. My brother is different. I'm truly afraid of him, in the I-think-he-might-kill-me sense of the word. There is something about him, something not right.

I will never forget that year. I was in my first year of junior high school. Thirteen years old and stupid. My father had just married a woman named Shiori. I liked her a lot. You see, my own mother had abandoned my father and me when I was a small child. She had run off to America, my father told me, and at the time I disliked grown-up women.

But Shiori changed that. She was, and still is, kind, loving and accepting of me as her second son. I was so excited, too, that I would have an older brother. My father talked nonstop about how brilliant Shuichi is and from what I saw of him, I thought he was the coolest person ever.

Then everything changed. I was possessed by something, something that shouldn't exist. A youkai. A creature of myth and legend. That day and the weeks that followed I got a glimpse into my brother's secret life. His real life.

I will never forget that year the way he spoke to that thing possessing my body. It was unlike anything I had ever heard from him before or since. He's always so calm and gentle, but never callous and cruel. The things they talked about were weird too, about places and beings that shouldn't exist. About a past my 20-year-old brother should not have.

Youkai. I've never believed they existed, but the memories of that thing are still here. I'm not sure what exactly I believe anymore, I might be crazy or remembering an elaborate dream. Ever since that day, I've been watching him. After three years I've worked up the courage and have started tailing him as much as I can.

Trying to see if there's anything suspicious that he does, trying to see the glimpse of the brother I saw when he was threatening the thing inside me. I haven't caught him doing anything unusual yet, but that has not eased my doubts. It only seems to have deepened them and intensify my search for the truth.

Even after weeks of following and spying on him, I don't have anything on him. All I know is that my brother has another life and that he…

Is not completely human.


	2. Chapter 1

**Chapter 1: In Which Our Hero Falls Out of a Tree**

It was morning and, as usual, I had to drag myself out of bed. There was school to go to, parents to deal with, errands to run, and all the homework I had to do. Although that's nothing compared to spying on someone that you think might kill you if he ever found out.

I wouldn't have time for some detective work before school if I didn't get ready quickly. I stepped out of my room, looked around, and then headed to the stairs. It seemed Shuichi was eating breakfast or had already left. I hoped he had already left, but when I went into the kitchen to grab something to eat before heading off he was washing dishes in the sink.

"Shuuichi, what would you like to eat?" My stepmom asked.

"I'm in a hurry. An apple will be fine. Thanks, anyway," I say to her as I reach for the fruit bowl.

"Breakfast is the most important meal of the day you know. You should eat something that will keep you full." A teasing voice says.

Before I can grab the apple, it's handed to me by my brother.

He smiles at me with a playful grin on his face, expecting me to reach the apple in his hands. I know I should act brotherly and snatch the apple from his hands, but I just can't take the fruit. A gut feeling tells me not to take any food from his hands. It might be poisoned.

I shook my head slightly. That sounds ridiculous, even to me. Nevertheless, I avoid his hand and grab another apple. I leave the house without another word. If my father had seen that, he'd give me a lecture about being politer to my brother. Lucky for me he was already at work. I jogged the seven blocks to my spying outpost, mindful of the time.

It's not as cool or useful as a peephole into his room might be (his room doesn't have one; I checked). It's a small but sturdy tree surrounded by bushes in the park that my brother passes by on his way to work everyday. I'm not sure why he bothers on walking instead of taking Shiori's car or the subway to work. Or why he even goes through this park in the first place (it's kinda out of the way for him). But it's just three blocks away from my school and he always takes his time walking here.

Despite spending almost everyday out here for the last few weeks, I haven't gathered much from his walks through the park. Nothing but him checking out the trees and, on rare occasions, talking to his friends. Who happen to be Urameshi Yusuke and Kuwabara Kazuma. When I was in junior high they were legendary for being the best fighters who ever lived. No wonder he never invites them to our house.

It took me a week to find out (through a classmate's friend's older brother) that Kuwabara attends Tokyo U and that Yusuke never went to high school and runs a ramen stand on Ishimasu Street. My brother behaves the same as he always does with them, but there's always something off. Something hard to explain. Or even define.

Five minutes later I see him approaching from the direction he always takes. He stares straight ahead, every so often glancing at the trees as if he's expecting someone to pop up. It couldn't be that he knows, right? I hope not. My heart starts pounding loud enough that I afraid he may hear it too.

He's almost below where I'm hiding, his eyes still on the row of trees. I try to squash myself further into the bushes around me. I feel something wrap around my ankle and I stumble forward. I let out a yelp like an idiot and fall into a heap at the base of the tree.

"Are you okay?"

Damn it! I sit up and dusted my school uniform off. He seems concerned standing there looking me up and down. I look down at my feet to avoid his gaze. Oddly my foot was free of any vine or branch that had made me fall.

"Shouldn't you be at school? What are you doing here?" he asks as he helps me up.

Still avoiding his eyes I answer, "None of your business. Shouldn't you be at work?"

He looked at me, eyes narrowing, as if he was trying to read my mind. I almost hit myself for giving such a suspicious answer; I forced a smiled and tried to make it look arrogant, but it probably made me look insane.

"It took you a long time to notice me."

Then I ran away from him before he even began to respond praying that he wouldn't follow. After the first block relief flooded me and I let my feet take me to school. Everyday I ask myself why I bothered to take the examinations anyway. I mean, my dad would have killed me but I would have had more time for important things, like watching my brother. It's not like my dad didn't have a fit over me not getting into Meiou (My brother's high school) or doesn't tells me off at least once a week for not going to cram school (like I really want to go to_ more_ school).

I walk in and up the stairs (first year classrooms are on the third floor) with what feels like a hundred other students. Take a look at all the teens here. Their minds are only filled with hormones, dates, homework, and friends. Sometimes I wonder why I ever discovered my brother's secret. How did it get to be like this?

I find my class (the last one in the hall of course) and take my seat, next to the window. My eyes often drift to the window during class. You can see the trees from the park from here. I don't respond to my name when roll is called. The class laughs at me when I nearly fall out of my seat when the history teacher barks "Hatanaka-san!" at me. Brainless Jerks.

The rest of the class didn't improve. Takanaka sensei hates me. I suppose it doesn't help that I think learning about what some person did a long time ago seems like a waste of my brain power. That, and I didn't bother to read the homework chapter last night… or the night before. Could this day get any worse?

I had just answered my third question wrongly when I see him. I flinch and muffle my shout with my hand. Takanaka-sensei announces that I must have finally thought up a correct answer to a question, which startled me so much I cried out loud. The class laughs, for like, a whole minute. Have I mentioned that the teacher hates me? But even the classes laughter can't make me forget what I saw.

My older brother is standing by the school gates. He is staring at me through the window. I duck, though I know it's too late. How does he know what classroom I'm in?! What's he doing here? Then, just when I'm about to have a heart attack from sheer terror, he leaves. Just like that.

I must have jinxed myself when I thought this day couldn't get any worse…


	3. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2: In which Kurama Sighs a Lot**

I sat in the kitchen, my head resting in my left hand as I absently picked at my breakfast with my chopsticks. I am feeling the same way I have been for the last week, mostly confused and slightly worried. My little stepbrother has been acting strange around me as of late.

Stranger than usual, I should say, for my little brother has always acted oddly around me, at least in comparison to other siblings I have observed. He has always been… cautious, around me, as if afraid I might get angry at him for something trivial. For the three years I have known him I have frequently noticed that he watches me.

When he was in Jr. High I thought it might be something like hero worship or jealousy or perhaps both. His father constantly tells him that he should be more like me, responsible, intelligent, and polite. I personally think it is healthy for him to _not_ be like myself, and I have never encouraged my stepfather's dubious motivational comparisons. However, since he started High school he has changed and become moody and sullen towards me.

I would have thought this was a normal reaction of humans going through puberty (although I never experienced such emotional disturbances myself) however, a few weeks ago I felt someone watching me. I was not alarmed as the person doing it was too inexperienced to be a real threat. I had hoped that the entity would stop after observing how incredibly mundane my life has become.

Unfortunately, I have only felt the increase of this presence. I briefly entertained the idea that Yusuke had hired someone to track me, as it sounded like something he would find funny. But I have always had certain… reservations, as to who has been, for lack of a better word, stalking me.

Sighing, I got up and put my plate away. I grabbed my backpack, slung it over my shoulder, said goodbye to Mother, and walked out the door. I could not sense anyone following me as I headed towards the park that I regularly pass through before I go to work, but as soon as I started on the gravel path I could feel someone watching me from the trees.

I was annoyed at Shuuichi's actions this morning; especially since I have been putting additional effort into being brotherly. Something, I admit, that does not come naturally to me. I suppose that is what drove me to do something potentially disastrous. I let a little youki and a small vine do their work. There was a yell in an all too familiar voice. My fears solidified as my little brother fell from the nearby tree and landed sprawled out on the ground.

"Are you alright?"

He stands up and I release a minute amount of youki to withdraw the vine back into the earth. He looks down searching for what tripped him and I am impressed at his reasoning in the situation. My little brother, while intelligent in other ways, has never appeared to apply himself to any intellectual pursuits. He is much like Yusuke in that respect.

"Shouldn't you be at school? What are you doing here?"

"None of your business. Shouldn't you be at work?"

I do not let my confusion and frustration show. I had been expecting a joke, or even a lie. His defensiveness seems somehow…off. Is more than benign curiosity? Shuuichi's heart is beating fast and he smells of fear and adrenalin but that is probably from being caught.

"It took you a long time to notice me." He gave a manic smile before dashing off.

I decide against chasing him. I am unsure of how to handle this. Am I being too paranoid? Am I looking for some devious intention when there is none because of my cautious nature? I need more information.

I know boys his age are prone to irrational actions and entertaining mischief. I also know that I have never allowed him to see anything that I would not want him to see, following me or not. Yusuke, Kuwabara and Hiei sensed his presence and were always careful not to say or do anything too… abnormal.

I had been planning to visit the shrine today, but I had time for a stop before I got on the train. I walked to Shuuichi's school and stood by the gate. His classroom is on the third floor, the third window from the left. He is looking pensive, staring absent mindedly out the window. I have been here before. Since the parasite youkai, I have tried to keep a closer eye on my brother to ensure his safety. Our eyes meet for a moment… then he ducks his head away. I sighed.

I walked to the train station and boarded a bullet train headed for the small town that is on the edge of Genkai's property. I will ask Yusuke about my brother. To my frequent consternation, I believe that he understands him far better than I do. I supposed that comes from never really having been a teenage boy, as having centuries of memory ruins the need to learn from experience.

I looked out the compartment window, watching the scenery flash by in a blur. I closed my eyes and sighed. I wished I knew what my little brother was thinking… No, that was not what I wanted…

I wished he would _tell_ me what he is thinking.

**Glossary**

**Ki**: life energy (**Chinese:** chi or Qi **Sandskrit:** chakra) in Yu Yu Hakusho used to power everyone's "superpowers" as it were, kinda like in Star Wars. It's like the Force…only without the midiclorians

**Youki**: youkai life energy (**lit**. youkai ki)

**Reiki**: human life energy (**lit**. spirit ki) although this may also apply to people from Reikai like Koenma and Botan


	4. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3: In Which Our Hero Sighs a Lot**

The visit my bother paid me from the school gates had me distracted me all morning. Ogawa sensei's left eye was twitching when he called on me for the fourth time and I didn't know the answer. Its lunch and I pick at my egg rice with my chopsticks, not feeling hungry. Who would have thought that the best brother in the world would have a dark secret?

I keep seeing his eyes in my mind. My brother has the scariest eyes of anyone I know. Even scarier than the short guy with the black hair I saw him with once at the park. But he would definitely be my second pick. I put my bento away, not having eaten a single bite. Shiori will worry about me when she sees it; but hopefully she won't tell dad.

This morning's disaster proved just how clumsy I am. Or maybe how suspicious he is? What was it that tripped me? Was it coincidence? Or maybe this morning proved how suspicious he is? Or did my brother cause it to happen? The thought sent a jolt of fear down my spine. It made me shiver.

If he could trip me with out moving a muscle what else could he do? What if he knows that I've been following him all this time? My heart is constricting in my chest. But if it was just really bad timing then getting all worked up about it is stupid.

I sighed. It seems like I always have more questions that answers. And I'm running out of ideas. I tried sneaking into his room and going through his trash but I never found anything unusual. Only that he's a neat freak. His floor is always clean and his bookshelves are organized by category and authors name. (Who _does _that except the library? See what I mean about him not being entirely human?)

I thought of asking his friends about him, but if they all know, then it'd be stupid to go and ask them. They'll just tell him and he might do something to me. And with him not being completely human, he could make it look like an accident or as if I had run away. So how can I find out what he really is without ending up dead?

"Shuuichi-kun, did you finish eating already?"

Like the clumsy idiot I am today, I almost fall out of my chair. After I regain my composure, I look up to see Nanako-chan. My cheeks begin to burn and I know I'm blushing like mad. Since I stared school I've been so preoccupied by my brother that I haven't made friends with anyone except Nanako-chan. I admit I like her.

"Yeah, I did." I lied.

Nanako-chan is kind, popular and always willing to help people. She's the classroom representative, the smartest girl in our grade, president of the literary club, and the best judo champion our school has seen in years. _And_ she never laughs at me when the rest of the class does.

While I__have no other friends, get average grades, am horrible at all sports, and am silent most of the time. I often wonder why we are friends. During the first week of school, see saw me reading Shonen Jump and she came up to me and stared taking. She's been my friend ever since. Though most of are conversations, well, all of them really, are pretty one sided with Nanako doing most of the taking and me trying to string two words together. I'm getting better. Sort of.

I try to think of something to say that doesn't involve the weather, but before I can come up with anything the bell rings, signaling the end of lunch. Nanako-chan smiles at me; a small, absolutely beautiful smile, that makes my heart race and my brain go fuzzy. I watch her return to her desk. I sigh. It's the same thing with my brother, but at least I don't have to worry about Nanako-chan killing and burying me in my backyard.

Backyard? My brother tends to do a lot of gardening, especially roses; our yard is full of them. There's another thing that's very unusual for a guy his age. And mom says he started it when he was ten. Why would he be so fond of plants and flowers? Could he have already killed before?

Maybe he uses the bodies of his victims as fertilizer. That explains why his flowers come out so perfect! Then again, if he really is burying people there, wouldn't that be stupid of him? Any one of us could have found them, and I'm pretty sure using people as fertilizer to grow perfect plants is a myth.

I should really stop reading horror manga…

Besides, if I know anything about my brother it's that he's _anything_ but stupid. If he killed someone I bet no one would find the body. Still, I can't forget he's not completely human, so maybe he uses his plants when-

"Are you daydreaming Hatanaka san?" Nakamura sensei snaps. I started and lost my train of thought.

"Yes sir. I mean, no sir."

The class laughs. Again. Some days I really hate my life. Why does my dad think that high school is "essential for the development of a dutiful citizen and adult"?

With my grades, I might as well dropout and ask my brother's friend Yusuke is he needs help with his ramen stand. He wouldn't beat up his assistant, would he? I sigh. Now what was I was thinking about my brother before the teacher interrupted? It was important… I sigh again. Oh well, it'll come back to me.

The rest of the afternoon classes don't get any better. I get called on several times, and I answer wrong every time. My favorite class is last period, math. I'm actually good at it _and_ it's the only class were the teacher actually like me. But he's been sick all week and the substitute's _still_ been going over the stuff we did _last_ week. Just when I though school couldn't get anymore boring.

"I'll see you tomorrow, Shuuichi-kun."

Nanako-chan's voice breaks through my thoughts. I try to reply and it comes out something like, "Nuhg?"

She giggles and smiles that beautiful smile again. I'm blushing feeling like an idiot. Nothing new there. Do girls know they have this kind of power over guys? If they did they could rule the world. Maybe they already are.

I swallowed the lump in my throat and manage to nod. I get out of my seat and got ready to go home. If I can stay alive until I no longer live with or near my brother, maybe then I'll have a shot at doing something like asking Nanako-chan out on a date. Not that she'd say yes, she's way out of my league, but it'd be nice to be able to do something like that.

Walking past the school gates I look up at the sky. It's cloudy and it's probably going to rain. I hope I don't get wet. I'm six blocks from home and I feel like someone's watching me. Could my brother have planned something? Ambushing me on my way home? I shake my head. I need to calm down. It's just in my head. I'm not thinking straight.

There's no way he's going to do something as suspicious as leaving work to come and kill me. He's smarter that that. And he's at work until dinner time, so I can relax. I think. I sigh. This morning's scare has me paranoid, or should I say, more paranoid than usual. Then again, you're not being paranoid if someone really is out to get you. And I'm-

"Do you live around here, Shuuichi-kun?"

I jumped at least four centimeters off the ground and nearly screamed like a girl. Nanako-chan really needs to stop surprising me or I'll have a heart attack. I wonder what she wants from me? That thought triggered an embarrassing stream of mental images that made me blush. Again.

"No, I live five blocks down on Haku Street. Don't you live on this street? Shouldn't you be going home?" I winced at how stupid that sounded.

"Yes," Nanako-chan smiled and my heart fluttered. "You should get home too. It looks like it's going to rain. You don't want to get sick."

I nodded, not knowing what to say. She looked at me, her eyes full of worry and concern.

"You seem so distracted and upset lately, Shuuichi-kun. Do you want to talk about it?"

I freeze. Nanako-chan has no idea how much I want to tell her everything. The burden of my brother's secret is driving me crazy. No matter how much I want to tell someone, tell her, I can't. Not if I want them to stay safe. I can't risk her life. I would never forgive myself if she were killed. Shaking my head I answer her in a hollow voice.

"No. I'm fine. Nothing's wrong."

My hands clench into fists. Nanako-chan frowns. She can see something _is_ bothering me. I wonder if she thinks that I don't trust her or maybe something worse. Times like these are why I hate my brother so much. I know I won't ever do it (I'm not suicidal), but right now I have the urge to scream and him.

"I should go home now. Have a good day, Shuuichi-kun."

Nanako-chan walks away and I watch her until she turns the corner and is blocked from view. What was I supposed to say? Should I call her back? Then what would I say? What else can I do but let her go?

I hate lying to the people I care about.

**Glossary**

**Bento:** Japanese lunchbox with dividers for the food

**-kun:** honorific: in the context of the chapter it means 'classmate'

**-chan:** honorific: in this context of this chapter it means that Shuuichi likes Nanako


	5. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4: In Which Yusuke Gives Good Advice (Gasp!)**

I could not help smiling as I ascended the familiar shrine steps. In accordance with Genkai's last wish the temple was now being used as a hostel for youkai who wanted to integrate themselves into human society. It was run by Kuwabara and Yukina, who lived full time on the property.

I reached the top, and sitting on the landing before the door was a youkai. He had neon green hair, red eyes and spiral birthmarks on his face and arms. I do not know him, so he must be new. He looked at me curiously, and I saw recognition dawn on his face, followed by surprise and awe.

Being around humans so frequently tends to cause me to forget that I am a celebrity in Makai. All of my friends are, as well, with the exception of Kuwabara and Yukina. However, I think that it will not be long before they too are famous. What with the ever increasing demand from youkai who desire to relocate to Ningenkai.

An interesting system has been created to allow, for the first time, youkai to cross between worlds and legally inhabit Ningenkai. It requires the cooperation from all three realms. First, over in Makai, you have to send a request for transfer to Reikai, who checked your records.

If you have committed no crimes against humans or Reikai, then you are psychically scanned by Mukuro to find out if your intentions are pure. I am still unaware how exactly Mukuro has become an essential part of this enterprise, but I suspect it has a lot to do with Hiei. Not that he would ever confirm or deny suspicions, of course.

Lastly, you lived at the shrine. Here everyone learned things like, how to deal with humans, solve problem without violence, and how to conceal themselves. They helped you find a job, and after a year you were allowed to move out, so long as you checked in periodically.

This had yet to produce any incidents, though many still think that a disaster will happen any day now. Especially since lately this system has been attracting the very powerful A and S-class youkai, who had previously been unable to cross over because of the Barrier. It was making a lot of people nervous, albeit most of them were the Reikai dwellers who had not wanted to remove the Barrier in the first place.

The green haired man bowed, and opened the door for me. The room was crowed. I winced as I heard Suzuki singing karaoke, rather badly, from the corner. Scanning the room, I saw Chuu, Rinku and Naomi (Rinku's girlfriend) at a table downing cups of sake in some sort of drinking contest. They were watched by Shishiwakamaru and Shizuru who were laughing and placing bets.

On the couch in the corner opposite the karaoke machine, where Kuwabara had just replaced Suzuki singing, sat a scowling Touya next to a chatty Keiko and Botan. To my right, Hiei was sitting cross-legged on the floor drinking tea with Yukina.

"Oi, Kurama!" Yusuke, smiling broadly, sauntered over to me.

"How've ya been?" despite my current troubles Yusuke's cheerfulness was contagious.

"I am doing well Yusuke, or at least I was before I walked in here." I gestured to the karaoke machine. He grimaced and snorted exasperatedly.

"I've told them their singing is fucking awful a thousand times already! But they _still_ think they can join Morning Musume or something." He rolled his eyes theatrically.

"Anyway, have a seat," Yusuke sat on a chair leaning back on two legs "I haven't seen you since that time in the park. Did ya ever find out who was following you?"

"Yes, unfortunately."

"Ha! I knew it was a crazy stalker girl! I keep _telling_ ya Kurama, you _need_ a girlfriend! You'd be happier, _and_ it'll keep the girls off ya." He turned to wave at Keiko who smiled back.

"See what I mean? Come _on_, if shorty over here can find himself a girl, then _you_ can. I think Hiei's actually happy too, which _must_ be a sign the world's ending. I'll even set it up for ya." I glanced at Hiei whose scowl told me that he had heard.

"It… was not a girl who was staking me."

Yusuke burst out laughing cause several people to look as us. Still guffawing, he managed to speak, pausing between words to gasp for breath.

"Wait…don't tell me… it was a _guy_!"

"No Yusuke," I replied, a little exasperated. "It was… my brother."

"Your brother? _He's_ been following you? Why'd he do that?"

"I was hoping you could tell me."

"When_ I_ was his age I was fighting youkai in Makai, so I'm not sure if I'm the best person to ask." Yusuke scratched his head looking uncharacteristically contemplative.

"But when I was a kid, I mean, before I died and was a Reikai Tantei and all that, I got into all kinds of shit, you know?" the question was rhetorical, but I still didn't understand.

"I am afraid I don't."

"Oh yeah right, you wouldn't, would you? Well_,_ I don't think your brother's exactly like me, I used to get into fights a lot and steal shit. But when I was bored I'd sometimes follow some person for no reason. Course I did it to mess with 'em."

Yusuke looked me up and down.

"I'd say your weird, know what I mean?"

I chucked. "I am sorry to say that I still do not understand. Should I be offended? You are usually better at name calling than this."

"No! What I mean is, you're… you're, _mysterious_. That's it! He probably just wants to find out if his perfect older brother is really so perfect. Then if he caches you doing something he could blackmail you with it! That's what _I'd_ do."

"Do you really thing so?"

"Yeah, makes sense. You're just paranoid, man." He smiled and ran his fingers through his hair.

"Thank you, Yusuke"

"Hey, no problem. What are friends for, anyway? Next time you catch him following you, just smack him upside the head and tell him to stop or you won't let him read your porn."

"_Yusuke_! I do _not_ have any-"

But he had already gotten up and was now yelling at Suzuki to stop singing. I felt relived. What Yusuke said had indeed made sense and I probably _was_ paranoid. I got up to talk to Hiei, shaking my head slightly at my failure to make the connection myself.

Heh, mysterious am I?


	6. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5: In Which Our Hero Is Kiddnaped**

I kicked the ground in frustration. The sky must have picked up on my mood because it chose this moment to start drizzling. Maybe there won't be an end to this. No one else sees, or will see, what I have about him. It might not be long until he slaughters us all, or maybe just me. The demon that I call my brother will keep on deceiving everyone until he has what he wants.

Whatever that is.

Why would he disguise himself as a human boy for twenty years? That would involve things like learning to walk, talk and… potty training. Although it does explain why he's so smart and why he's always done so well in school. Still, what could possibly be worth all that?

I hunched against the rain and started walking when, to my surprise, Nanako-chan came back around the corner and jogged up to me.

"I'm so sorry Shuuichi," she says bowing.

"I realize that I might been prying. I didn't mean to make you feel uncomfortable. Please understand, I'm just worried about you. I didn't intend to be so rude." she smiles looking embarrassed and apologetic.

"Nanako-kun you don't have to apologize," I smiled back awkwardly.

"Thanks for your concern, but I'm okay."

Sort of. Kind of. Maybe.

I will never be truly okay until I can prove what my brother is to everyone and stop him before something bad happens. but she doesn't need to know that.

"You'll need an umbrella to get home now, won't you?" before I can reply she takes my hand and places it on her umbrella.

"Take it, I don't need it." I'm sure I look stupid with my mouth gapping like this. But all I can think about is the fact that she just touched my hand.

"T-thank y-you." I'm mortified about returning to my stuttering idiot self, but all she does is smile and begin walking away from me.

I watch her turn the corner, holding her umbrella in my hand - which I am never going to wash again. Something to the right catches my eye. Someone is walking towards me. That's weird, I didn't see them before. Or even hear them.

He wears a black hooded sweatshirt, blue jeans and tennis shoes. I can see just enough of his face to make out the features. His nose is shaped oddly and his skin is lighter than mine, almost like clay. I suppress a shiver as I breakout in goose bumps. This guy gives me the creeps.

Trying to look braver than I felt, I straighten to my full height and glare at him. I walk away, my heart pounding in my chest. I can hear the strange man's footsteps against the wet sidewalk. He's following me. I speed up and hear him do the same.

What if my brother knows I'm on to him? This man could be working for him! Fighting panic, I break into a run and quickly pass through two street blocks. He keeps up with me easily. Suddenly I feel his breath on the back of my neck. I yell and start sprinting with a speed I hadn't thought I was capable of.

I couldn't hear him behind me anymore. Chancing a glance over my shoulder I didn't see him. Relief flooded through me and I slowed to a jog. I turned the corner of the third block and skidded to a stop.

The man was standing right there.

Panting, I feel terror pulsing through my veins. This guy is the fasted man on earth! How did he get ahead of me? I'm too tired to run again and he would just catch me anyway. I tense and ball my fists, preparing to fight.

"What do you want?" I ask through clenched teeth.

The man smiles and chuckles but doesn't respond. He turns his head to look me up and down, and then nods. Though I was watching him very carefully, waiting for him to make the first move, I gasped as he vanished. A millisecond later I felt him behind me, breathing down my neck. I flinched and opened my mouth to scream but something hit me hard in the back of the head and I blacked out.


	7. Chapter 6

**My blue rose: The villain is not Karasu on account of him being dead. It's surprisingly hard to kidnap someone when you're dead.**

**Chapter 6: In Which the Title is Explained **

Sitting in the train on the way home, I realize that I feel better. I believe Yusuke is correct, his explanation was not only logical it also made persuading my little brother to stop following me easier.

I imagine myself confronting my little brother. I would tell him that I know he has been following me for some time, and then ask why he feels the need to stalk me. The embarrassment would probably convince him to stop and to hopefully act more… normal, around me.

I walked the rest of the way to my house. Upon opening the door, my mother came up to me looking worried.

"Shuuichi-chan, have you seen your brother? He was supposed to have come home from school thirty minutes ago and it's not like him to be late. Did he tell you where he was going?"

My little brother has not come home yet? That is odd, he may have a poor work ethic, but he is always punctual; quite the reverse of myself. However, I doubt it is something to be too concerned about. He probably is at the arcade playing video games or at a manga café.

Perhaps he wants some time alone to process the humiliation he feels over this morning. It would be best if mother remain ignorant in this situation unless Shuuichi decides to tell her himself, and there is little chance of that occurring. I smiled at mother and hastened to reassure her.

"He is probably talking to a girl and lost track of the time, Mother. I would not worry about it; he will probably be home just in time for dinner."

My mother smiled, a knowing look in her eyes.

"Speaking of taking to a girl, Shuichi, where were you this afternoon? Hatanaka called and said that you took the day off today."

"I was just visiting some friend's, Mother."

Did everyone think I needed a girlfriend?

"I'm glad. You need to get out more often, Shuichi, it's unhealthy to work as hard as you do. If you see your brother, tell him to call me please."

"Of course I will, if you will excuse me, Mother."

I went upstairs shrugging out of my jacket. At my door, about to enter my room, I froze muscles tense. My senses, far superior to that of an average human, had picked up a scent from the room beyond. A coppery metallic scent; the scent of blood. In reflex my hand shot to my hair where a small seed was safely stashed.

I wrinkled my nose and called upon the centuries of instinct thieving in Makai had honed. The blood was human, not youkai and I could not sense any youki coming from the room. Or reiki for that matter, but that didn't me someone might be concealing themselves or that there was not a trap set for me.

They would expect me to go through the door. Unless they were not armatures, they would be waiting for me to go through the door or have a trap rigged near the door. On light feet I crossed the hall to my brothers' room, opened the door silently, and slipped inside.

I deftly dogged the piles of manga and dirty clothes that littered the floor of his room until I reached the window. I slid it open and paused for a second, thinking of my mother downstairs with an unknown threat in my room. I needed to disarm or disable whatever was in there as quickly as possibly and ascertain motive later.

Youko Kurama's rule number six: Surprise is an advantage in any situation.

Creeping along the inches thick ledge that bordered the midsection of my house, I strained my senses and gathered youki in my hand preparing to unleash my rose whip instantly. I swung in through my open window, landing crouched, rose whip curled in my hand.

I scanned the room finding nothing. For several long seconds I stood there, motionless, attempting to discern any threat in the silence. Abruptly I straitened, and walked cautiously toward my bed from which the smell was coming form. On my bed was a piece of paper that looked like it had come from my desk.

It was a note written in blood.

How cliché; this was definitely done by amateurs. I brought the paper to my nose, closed my eyes and sniffed, it had a familiar sent. My eyes snapped open. It was my brother's blood. The letter was written in my brothers' blood. My eyes narrowed and I clenched my teeth, fighting to keep the rage that was blazing inside me from clouding my judgment. It read:

_You will regret the day you defeated me Kurama. I have been in hell too long, Makai will be a nice change for me, maybe not so much for your brother._

I crumpled up the letter and put it in my pocket, it would not do for mother to find it. My brother had been kidnapped by someone I had defeated in the past. Most of the people on that list were dead or worse. Anyone who wasn't wouldn't kidnap my brother. I balled my hands into fists, cursing the universe for endeavoring to turn my every nightmare into reality.

I took a deep breath and forced myself to think rationally. My brother had minor spiritual power and would succumb to the toxic Makai air soon but not immediately. A human with his spiritual power would last approximately twenty hours in Makai before the air killed them.

Twenty hours.

No, nineteen hours now, because he had been missing for an hour, give or take a few minutes. I grabbed my jacket and spirited down the stairs in my hurry. I yelled to mother as I was heading out the door that I was going out. Once out of sight, I sprinted, surging youki into my body, becoming a blur in the landscape. Makai was far too big to search by myself, I needed help. At this speed I would reach the shrine in a few minutes.

I do not know who had done this or why, but I do know that they will regret the day they were born.


	8. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7: In Which Our Hero Does Not Discover a Super Power**

It's dark. Very dark. Not the kinda dark you get in the city with all the lights, but so dark you can't tell the difference whether your eyes are open or closed. The air is cool, but strangely thick and hard to breathe. The floor feels like rough stone. I can't make out anything in what I think must be a cool, slightly damp, cave. My hands were tied tightly behind my back. I could feel a warm trickle of blood rolling down my arm from where the man—monster?—must have cut me.

Since I was busy being knocked out, I don't remember exactly how I got here. I came to a few times traveling here. I was slung over the man's shoulder and he was running impossibly fast. I saw a blur of trees, mountains, and some really strange plants. None of it looked remotely familiar.

I know I sound crazy, but I don't think I'm in Japan anymore. I don't think I'm even on earth anymore. I think I'm on (in?) an alien planet, another dimension, or maybe, from the way the plants looked, in the Mario Brother's world. I know, I know, I've been reading way too much science fiction manga.

I sighed. If only this _was_ a manga! I'd gain a previously unknown superpower, kill the kidnaper, then go home and make out with Nanako! Unfortunately, I don't feel like I'm getting any powers, except for the power to be sick.

The air in this place is making me nauseous. I want to pass out right now, or throw up, whichever comes first. At first it wasn't difficult to breathe, it felt like normal, but it was becoming steadily harder. It feels as if I'm suffocating slowly. Or trying to breathe cotton.

The air smells really awful to, though not as bad as it had been outside the cave. If I had to name it, I'd say that it was a mixture of the metallic sent of blood, the sickly sweet smell of rotting corpses, and the stench of sewer water.

My stomach's growling. I didn't think it was possible for me to be hungry at a time like this, but my stomach doesn't seem to know that. I wish I had eaten lunch when I had the chance!

I gave my binds a yank, but they didn't give even a little. I shuffled a bit, trying to make myself as comfortable as possible with my hands tied behind my back. Alright, lets start with what I know:

I'm possibly on an alien planet, or in another dimension.

I've been kidnapped by someone I don't know, but who I suspect is some kind of demon (or alien) because of his super speed. I might have been spirited away—or maybe it's just the manga again, putting images in my head of some scaly youkai that was going to kill me. The man who took me looked human, but maybe that was just a disguise?

Why would a youkai kidnap you? All the horror stories about them say they're blood-thirsty and would kill or eat you if they got the chance, it depended on the type. I can't remember a story were they kidnapped someone before.

Not that it matters. If I don't escape from here I don't think I will ever live to expose my brother to the world, date Nanako, or see my next birthday.


	9. Chapter 8

**Chapter 8: In Which Tea is Drunk**

I dashed up the shrine steps to find Yusuke and Hiei waiting for me on the veranda. Hiei was leaning against the wall, eyes closed, arms crossed. If you did not know him you might assume he had fallen asleep. Yusuke was sitting crossed legged, absently spinning a 500 yen coin on the wooden landing.

"Yo Kurama! Felt you coming miles away. What's the rush, you forget your hairbrush or something?" he laughed at his own joke until he caught sight of my face. His eyes hardened and he frowned.

"What happened?" he demanded. Hiei had opened his eyes and his crimson gaze met my own.

"My brother, he's been taken! To Makai."

"I'll tell the others, don't worry, we'll find him." Yusuke nodded scowling.

I was grateful; Yusuke hadn't asked any questions and wasted any of our limited time.

"Hiei."

It was only one word but looking into the Fire youkai's eyes told me he understood. He nodded once, ripped off his headband with one hand, and then disappeared. I walked inside and saw Yusuke explaining what had happened to people gathered in the room. I stood beside him, when he finished I started telling everyone what to do.

"I want to send out search parties. If any of you find anything report back here immediately. Chuu, Rinku, Kuwabara, you have the first two levels of Makai to search. You know where the portal is. Come back in two hours if you haven't found anything."

The three I had named nodded and walk out to the courtyard where the portal to Makai was.

"Why are you wasting three people on only two levels? We'll never find anyone that way." Shishiwakamaru said.

"Because, Chuu and Rinku have the worst tracking skills out of all of us and Kuwabara has only been to Makai once in his life. Also, a quarter of the area I told them to search is controlled by Reikai, and strategically, it is the worst place in Makai to hold someone captive. The youkai there are weak and the terrain would make it difficult to conceal a human. The chances of them finding my brother are very slim."

"Sounds like you've kidnapped someone before." Shishi said sarcastically.

"I have." I replied shortly.

"Botan, I would like you to go to Reikai, ask Koenma to search Ningenkai for my brother. It is possible they are lying, but since they demanded nothing for his safe return I sincerely doubt it."

The blue haired shinigami was out the door and on her oar in seconds.

"The rest of us will take one level each-"

"You can't do that Kurama." I was interrupted by Touya.

"You have to stay here and coordinate everything. If someone comes back with information you will be the first to know. Besides, we can't leave the youkai staying here unattended. Someone strong enough to kill one of them has to be here at all times, just in case someone goes out of control. You wrote that rule, remember?"

"I can not just sit here while my brother is out there!"

"You can and you will. You know it's the best plan. We don't know how strong our opponent is or if there is more than one of them. Their goal is to torture you. What might happen if they find you all alone searching for your brother and you aren't powerful enough to take them?" he was making logical arguments I had discarded because I didn't like them.

"Fine, I will stay here," I spat.

"Yusuke, Shishi, you search the sixth, seventh and eighth levels. Jin, Touya, Suzuki, you search the third, fourth and fifth levels. That is where they are mostly likely to be. Enlist anyone you can to help you. Come back in two hours."

"Don't worry, Houkushin and the others know the bottom levels inside and out." Yusuke reassured before leaving for the portal.

I sighed and sank into the nearest couch. Two hours had already past since Shuuichi had been taken. Why hadn't I been there? I promised myself after the Parasite youkai incident that I would never let anything in my life hurt him again.

I held my head in my hands. The fiery rage I had felt when I had read the note was gone, replaced with ice cold guilt. I should have been there to stop this. I let this happen, again. I flinched as I felt a hand on my shoulder. I looked up and saw Shizuru looking at me concerned.

"Don't beat yourself up over this Kurama."

She sat down next to me.

"You couldn't have prevented this and you know it. Stop being all angsty, it doesn't suit you." I smiled faintly at her bluntness.

"What am I going to do here for two hours?"

"You're going to call your mother and tell her that you have taken your brother out for dinner and won't be home for a long time. Then you are going to rack that big brain of yours and try to think of who could have done this."

She smiled and raised her index finger.

"But first you're going to drink this wonderful tea that Yukina made with me. She said it helps calm you down, although if you were any calmer you'd be asleep." I chuckled and pick up a cup from the low table in front of the couch.

"What would I do with out you?" I asked airily.

"Wallow in misery. Drown in self pity. Sink into depression. Then curl up and die." She deadpanned. I snorted into my tea.

"I just wish I knew if he's okay. What are they doing to him now? What if I never see him again? I just wish I knew _something_." I sighed, looking into the watery depths of my tea cup.

"Then you how I feel every time Kazuma runs off to fight with you guys. He never tells me what's going on. I just hope he comes back home in one piece. I can never stop myself from wondering what I would do if he doesn't come back."

"I never knew you felt that way." I said, rather surprised.

"That's because I've never told anyone before."

We sat in silence and I knew she was thinking of her brother by himself in Makai just like I was thinking of mine.


	10. Chapter 9

**Chapter 9: In Which We Get an Enigmatic Glimpse of the Enemy… Oh, and Our Hero Too **

Far away in another realm two beings were talking by the entrance of a rough stone cave. One was tall and spoke arrogantly, the other short with a high voice that nevertheless demanded obedience.

"There're close, too close. If they stumble onto us now I don't see how we can-"

"Of course you don't, fool. I am surprised that you can see anything. However, I have planed for every eventuality" The short man interrupted.

He strode deeper into the engulfing darkness of the cave the short man close behind, carrying a light. He stopped before a prone figure lying on the stone floor. In the weak light one could barely make out his features, but it was clear that this was a human boy. Withdrawing a small dagger and from his pocket and crouching down he grasped the boy's outstretched hand and carved a thin red line into his wrist. The boy let out a whimper but remained still.

Placing a small cloth to the wound the short man waited until it was red with blood before removed it. He briefly inspected the boy's wrist, apparently to see if it had stopped bleeding. Satisfied, he straitened and turned back to the tall man who was watching curiously.

"I thought you said that we wouldn't hurt him until-" he was once again cut off by the short man.

"Take this," he thrust the bloody rag into his hands whilst the tall man grimaced. "Put it somewhere far away from here. It will throw them off our trail for awhile."

"Why do I have to do it? Why am I always doing your dirty work? I found you and freed you. You own me!" The tall man shouted.

"Why do you think I have allowed you to live so far? You, with all your pathetic incompetence and incurable stupidity? Maybe you _have_ outlived your usefulness to me…"

The short man raised his arm and took a step forward, eyes flashing. The tall man snarled dropped the rag and raised a fist. He stopped suddenly lowering the arm; the smile on the shorter man seemed to have disturbed him. He clenched his hands and scowled then bent down slowly to pick up the bloodied rag.

"That's more like it. You are disposable Risho, remember that the next time you wish to challenge me…"

The short man turned and walked away leaving his sentence hanging. When he was out of sight the tall man swore under his breath. He left without sparing a glance at the boy on the floor.

I opened my eyes and blinked a few times. There was nothing but blackness either way. I must have passed out again. Or maybe I fell asleep? I coughed, trying to clear the thick feeling in my throat and lungs. It wouldn't go away no matter how hard I coughed. I gave up, breathing deeply as I could of the foul air to compensate.

I had been expecting someone (or some_thing_) to show up by now. They were supposed to gloat tell me how my kidnapping was all part of their secret plan to take over the world or something. That's what bad guys are supposed to do. Though I can't think of any real bad guys I can base this on.

This is something they don't show in manga; the hero gets captured and is left in the dark for… however long it's been. Shouldn't they at least be torturing me or something? On second thought, lying here in the dark isn't so bad.

I'm still hungry, but I'm starting to feel thirsty too. And I'm cold. I awkwardly curled into a fetal position, hands tied behind me, trying to get warmer. I froze when I heard footsteps .

"I see you're awake now," a faceless voice said somewhere to my right. "Good, there's someone that wants to greet you." It took me a moment to recognize he speaker as the man that had kidnapped me.

"Where am I?"

I would have kicked myself if I could. Of all the things I want to ask that question popped out before I could stop it.

"Straightforward… unlike someone we know, hm?" My eyes darted around looking for the source of the new voice, it seemed to come from everywhere at once, but all I saw was blackness.

One of then chuckled.

"Yes, not like him all. It seems this one lacks subtlety in addition to being human." He spat the last word. "Then again, you would know more. You fought him and had the opportunity to talk to him."

Who were they talking about? Where the hell was the other man?

"Look, I just want to know where I am!" I shouted at them. I realized a second later it was a bad idea to yell at people who have you tied up helpless on the floor.

They just laughed. That scared me more than if they had just kicked me.

"Do you truly wish to know?" the voice from the unseen man asked me. He had a high voice that was annoying and creepy at the same time. It made me shudder slightly.

"Yes," I answered, almost leaning towards them in anticipation. My brain was fuzzy and I had to gasp for air.

"You, boy, are in Makai!" The man with the odd voice said.

I passed out to the sound of them laughing.


	11. Chapter 10

**My blue rose: Chapter 10: In Which Our Hero Throws Up**

I followed Shizuru's advice and called Mother. She thought it was wonderful that we were spending time together and told me not to stay out too late because it was a school night. I falsely assured her that we would not be out too late, told her I loved her and hung up. I pocketed my cell phone, shifting my position on the couch trying to relax.

It was thirty minutes past five, approximately two and a half hours since Shuuichi was taken, give or take ten minuets. I wonder what Mother would say in seventeen and a half hours, when I told her Shuuichi was missing? What would Hatanaka say when he realized he would never see his son again? I shook my head to clear my thoughts. I have to stay focused or I will not have hope of finding my little brother.

I sighed and leaded back into the leather couch. The green haired youkai I had met earlier was playing on the Nintendo 64 across from me. It was a Mario game by the looks of it. I idly stared at the television screen watching the little red man get eaten by a large spotted plant with teeth. The sight made me smile slightly and caused the youkai in front of the screen to swear loudly.

A thought hit me. It could not have happened. Unless someone had helped him. Someone not human. Someone who could free him. Someone who might be helping him. It was is implausible…but not_ impossible. _I have to check; I can not afford to be right about this and not confirm it.

I stood up and went outside. The sun was low in the sky; it would be dark in an hour or so. Shizuru was standing on the temple steps, smoking a cigarette, staring at woods beyond. As I approached she turned around.

"I need to look into something. I… have an idea, of who it might be." I told her.

"Let me guess, you want me to hold the fort 'till you get back and not tell anyone that you left because you're breaking your own rule about having someone strong babysitting these guys?" she gestured at the shrine.

"There haven't been any problems. Everything should be fine; they won't even know I'm gone. If you have problems you can call my cell phone. "

"You don't have to defend yourself to me. You're too strict with them anyway. Maybe I should throw a party to celebrate the absence of authority figures." She said smirking.

I snorted and rolled my eyes, "Just don't burn down the complex, please."

"No promises!" she called as I ran down the steps.

I had regained consciousness a minute ago, maybe longer; it's hard to tell time here. My arms, tied behind me, are aching. I wonder how long I was passed out for? My stomach begins to growl. Why didn't I eat my food when I still had it? I had yet to hear from them again. They hadn't come in to check on me, or maybe they had while I was unconscious. What they had told me did make me think that maybe, just maybe, I was not on earth anymore.

Ridiculous, stupid, unlikely…but, not impossible. Makai… a hidden realm of monsters… I never even considered that it might exist. I thought that it was just a story from a time when people didn't have television or manga to entertain them. Yet I heard him say that we were in Makai. It _would_ explain the awful stench, the weird plant life, and why it was so hard for me to breathe.

So if they weren't lying and Makai does exist, then it only makes my situation worse. If I was to somehow escape from wherever the hell we were at now, I still would have to face the problem of getting out of Makai. Was that even possible for a human to do? It's not like I have some sort of magical powers that would come in handy. Now I wish I was inside a manga, at least then I might have a chance.

My arms were falling asleep now. The tingling sensation was maddening, but at least they weren't aching anymore. I tried getting up. There was no reason for me to not be comfortable, right? The two that had kidnapped me should be thankful for how good I've been so far, even if it wasn't what I wanted to do.

It took me several attempts to get myself standing on my feet. In the process I had gotten a couple of scratches, possible bruises and had fallen flat on my face once. Who would have guessed how hard it is to stand up without using your hands? I began to walk around with energy I knew I didn't have before.

I walked a bit, but I didn't dare go further than a few steps. There could be traps around, and I would rather keep myself alive for the moment. Part of me was tempted to just run out of there as fast as I could, but that would have been stupid. Even though I didn't like my brother, he did teach me one thing that stuck with me, patience. The old me, the naïve little kid, would have ran without a plan. I have changed a lot since then.

My brother taught me to be patient, just by watching him. I suppose that patience is a valuable tool for anyone. By being in control of his emotions he was better equipped to lie perfectly, to kill, to torture. Just thinking about him gave me more energy, more desire to get out of there. It was when I felt a warm liquid on chin that I realized I had bitten my lip.

I do wonder if my brother ever felt the need to kill at the sight of blood? Is that how all youkai were? Did they lust for blood and torture? Deciding it was for the best, I stopped my morbid thoughts there. It wasn't as if I would find the key to getting out of here in my head. If there was a way to escape, it would lie in my surroundings and in my captors.

"It's so dark," I muttered to myself.

After I said it I wanted to laugh at myself. Even without Nanako there, I was still stating the obvious. Perhaps it was just the nerves I felt that made me blurt out the first things that came to my mind and not the girl of my dreams. If I ever made it out of here alive I'll try to put that knowledge it to good use. Not able to see a single thing, I wanted to curse loud enough for someone to hear. My patience was wearing off, and if I lost it now, then that was it for me.

"Calm yourself," I whispered to myself over and over until I felt as calm as I could.

It became clear now that I would have to wait for one of my kidnappers to come here. If one of them, or both, came then the area around me would be lit. Maybe it wouldn't reveal everything around me, but at least I would have clues and a vague idea of a way to get out of here. Even if I was stuck in a world for youkai I had to get out of here.

There was no telling what these guys wanted unless they told me, but even I know that wasn't going to happen. All the books and movies I ever saw had the kidnappers not telling their hostages anything until they were just about to be saved or… Well, that was a morbid thought I'd rather not keep in mind. Positive thoughts, that was important.

My energy was running out and my lungs were burning. So like the good little captive I was, I sat and waited for whatever came next. This happened to be a wave of nausea followed by vomiting. Aside from the burning sensation in my throat and the awful taste in my mouth, I felt better. Why is it that you always feel better after throwing up?

I saw a faint glimmer of light coming towards me. The sweat on my forehead turned cold and my heart rate speed up. I closed my eyes and kept my head down. I began to feel more at ease, my pulse was slowing down. The funny thing about this was that my captors thought I was still knocked out.

"Oh my, we won't be able to tell him then," the shrill-voiced man said. As much as I wanted to open my eyes to try to see him, I forced myself to keep still. This was my chance to catch any explanations that they would not give me. One of them sighed

"What if they find us? There will trouble and definitely fighting involved." That was the man that had kidnapped me. Who was coming, though? And for what?

"If they do, we'll be able to handle it. There is only one person I want to fight, and I know he'll accept my challenge. This time I will be ready, I know their tricks after all. And I'm sure they've already come searching for the boy. They're not likely to waste time." The man cackled while the other one kept silent.

The short conversation ended when I heard the footsteps going away from me. I waited until I no longer heard them to open my eyes. Though I wouldn't admit it to anyone, I was terrified of the man with the shrill voice. His sounded enraged. Whoever it was that he wanted to fight must have pissed him off like no one else had.

I might have missed my opportunity to see my surroundings, but I did gather some things that could help me. At least now I know someone is coming. And if that someone was enemies with these two, then my chances for survival increased. Unless he too was a youkai that would rather kill me than help me escape.

Are there good youkai? The old stories and manga said there were. If there are any, I hope that this someone they spoke about was one. Maybe I could escape in the chaos if they started fighting. My head began to ache and my body felt weak. I must be passing out again but sleeping feels so good I don't even try to fight it.

Maybe when I wake up this will have all been a dream. No… Maybe it will have been a nightmare…


	12. Chapter 11

**Chapter 11: In Which We Finally Find Out Who the Bad Guy Is**

Drawing youki into my limbs to increase my speed I sprinted as fast as I possibly could, following the train tracks that led to Mushiyori city. Any human who happened to glimpse me would only see a brown red blur for a microsecond. It would take me two minutes to get to the city at this speed. Another minute to reach the city outskirts and find the cave.

Then I would have to search for _him_. The cave system was large, and although Koenma had the entrance sealed up after the incident with Sensui, there was still a labyrinth of tunnels and passageways to search. None of which I remembered. It would take _hours. _Hours my little brother didn't have.

I am moving so fast that I skid thirty meterswhen I attempt to stop before the cave. The entrance is, just as expected, covered with large rocks and tightly packed soil. I can even detect the faint hum of a barrier that Koenma must have put up to prevent humans from wanting to clear the entryway.

I have grown far stronger than I was when we fought Sensui. I am stronger now than I ever had been as Youko Kurama. If I do this right I will not need hours of searching. I press my hand against the rough stone, concentrating. I should be able to sense him through the debris.

_Nothing_. Nothing but the faint tingling of Koenma's barrier. Damn It!

I punch the rock and it shatters into a thousand little pieces. I realize I am breathing heavily and my hands are trembling. I need to slow down. I draw a deep breath and let it out slowly. I am not thinking straight. I sit down and continue breathing slowly and deeply.

Youko Kurama's rule number three: Logic is panic's prey.

How would I normally go about this? I can not sense anything. Nevertheless, that does not necessarily mean he is not there. He could be too far out of range for me to detect. He could be too weak for me to detect. The "Tree of Wicked Thoughts" might have reduced his power so much by now that he is little more than a regenerating husk. Or he might not be here at all.

Good. Now how would I go about ascertaining which one of my hypothesis' are correct? I could search the caves but, even at full speed that would take time, more time than I am willing to spend. I could get help, Kaito Yu, Kido Asato and Yanagisawa Mitsunari all live in Mushiyori city and are familiar with the cave. However, they can not use their powers for speed and even to get them all here would take hours. Hours in which I would not be searching.

Youko Kurama's rule number four: Fight smarter not harder.

Smiling, I stand up. I can not believe I did not think of this before! Perhaps my life has become too mundane lately. I have almost forgotten who I am. When manpower fails, there is always plant power. Reaching into the earth with my youki I call on every tree seed and bush in the area to grow and sprout.

Then, with an exhilarating thrust of energy, send every vine, branch and stem into the cave. I can feel them pierce through the solid rock and into the hollow cavity. Tree limbs, larger around than I am, fill the hundreds of tunnels mortared with delicate shoots the size of my hair.

Now I know every centimeter of miles of cave, below, above and all around me. I can _feel_ it in my mind. And I feel that it is completely and utterly empty. So… the elder Touguro escaped, and has kidnapped my brother in an attempt at revenge. He must have had help. He could not have escaped from the "Tree of Wicked Thoughts" by himself.

I can feel the smile on my face and I know that if anyone could see it, it would look feral. More suited to Youko Kurama than Minamino Shuichi. Well, I seems as if the elder Touguro does not know about Youko Kurama's rule number one: Never underestimate your opponent. I imagine he will dearly regret not knowing about Youko Kurama's rule number two:

Revenge is best served tenfold.


	13. Chapter 12

**Chapter 12: In Which There is a Long Conversation**

I speed back to the temple, which was thankfully still standing and apparently undamaged. Shizuru was on the landing, a blanket around her shoulders, staring at the stars. The chill night air making her breath appear like smoke before her. Glancing at my watch I realize it is only a few minutes' to midnight. Eight hours since my brother was taken. It feels like eight minutes.

"I take it you found out who did this."

I give a curt nod in reply.

"Where did you go?"

"Mushiyori City."

She gave a descending whistle.

"That was quick. So, who do we need to kill? Anyone I know?"

"Yes. The elder Touguro."

"He survived the Dark Tournament?" She looked incredulous.

"Kuwabara didn't tell you what happened in the cave with Sensui?"

She snorted and shot me a look that said _as if_.

"He told me Sensui was a crazy bastard with a bunch of different personalities, whose corpse was probably being raped by that youkai who held him captive and tried to destroy the barrier between the worlds. Which I could have guessed. The part about him being crazy, I mean. The other part I _really_ didn't need to know."

He also said that Yusuke had apparently been a powerful hanyou all that time. Which, no offence, I _still _think explains a lot about him. Oh, and he said that you killed a kid. Which I didn't actually believe."

I was torn between a desire to laugh and kill Kuwabara. He and Yusuke often that effect on me.

"So, is it true?"

"Is what true?

"That you killed a kid."

I really did not want to have this conversation now. Or ever.

"Yes. I did." I said shortly. Luckily Shizuru's quick on the uptake.

"The other Touguro was there too, then?"

"He was working for Sensui. His regenerative abilities make it so he is essentially immortal. I had to trap him in a perpetual illusion to render him incapable of fighting. I just checked the cave. He is not there."

"He escaped."

"Not by himself. He must have had help."

"Then we're looking for more than one person. Any idea where they might be?"

"Somewhere in Makai is the best I can guess without more information. I assume the reason he is coming after me is because of the kind of illusion I put him in him. It is disturbing to me that after spending years entertaining the Tree of Wicked Thoughts he still has the ability to organized a kidnapping like this."

"What'd you mean?"

"Prolonged exposure to the Tree robs you of your rational capacity. Touguro was deranged to begin with. After all this time trapped in the tree's illusion he should not be able to form a coherent sentence. However, that he has some how orchestrated _this_ demonstrates he is still intelligent. It makes him… unpredictable.

Shizuru nodded, looking thoughtful. A flare of familiar youki told me that Yusuke and Shishi were back. A few seconds later they were in front of me smelling of blood, faces grim.

"What happened?"

"Kurama, I'm so sorry-" Yusuke began.

"No." I whispered.

The blood they smelled like was my brother's.


	14. Chapter 13

**Chapter 13: In Which There is an Even Longer Conversation **

"It's not what you think!" Yusuke said hurriedly. Shishi was silent behind him.

"Most of this," he gestured the blood covering him "is from some dumbass Dragon youkai we met while we were searching. Those guys didn't seem to think we were serious when we told them that we didn't care if this was their ancestor's territory, we're going to search it." He shook his head and affected a long-suffering expression.

"I get no respect I tell ya. It's always hanyou this and hanyou that. Well _this_ hanyou can kick your ass. But we did find this, not sure what it means, though."

He withdrew from his pocket a blood soaked rag. That was what the smell is coming from. I relaxed knowing that there was not enough blood on the rag to be dangerous, even for a human. I took it from Yusuke and wrinkled my nose in distaste. There wasn't anything unusual about it. It was once an undyed white and had a rough weave. It was probably made on a vertical handloom, common in many parts of Maikai that had not been industrialized. I realized that Yusuke had been talking while I was examining the rag.

"—why we found it there. We searched in a circle around for miles but didn't find anything. I think we've looked at every single tree in that damn place, but we got nothing. I'm sorry Kurama, we tried but there was no trace of even—"

"You wouldn't." I said, shaking my head.

"What?"

"You wouldn't have found anything. You weren't meant to. This is the decoy." I threw the bloody rag on the floor.

Yusuke look even more dejected. "Aw man, I can't believe I fell for it.

"Don't worry about it. Subterfuge has never been your specialty."

"We better get back. To searching, I mean." He nodded his head toward the direction of the portal.

I nodded distractedly. When I finally sensed Yusuke's and Shishi's youki disappear I turned to Shizuru.

"You should go inside. I want to stay out here for a while."

"No." She said simply.

"What? Why not?"

"I want to hear what shorty has to say too." At her words, a section of latticed wood and rice paper wall went hazy then clear into the form of Hiei. His forehead was bare, his purple Jagan eye blazing in the darkness. Scowling at Shizuru proceeded to close his third eye and wrap his customary white bandanna around.

"How did you know I was here?" His question was directed towards me but his eyes were on Shizuru, who smiled at sarcastically.

"Your youki was completely masked. I am impressed. I did not know you had advanced so far. Your visual illusion was perfect as well. But you forgot something. I could still smell you."

Hiei scowled again. Then, because it was obvious to me that he wanted to ask, but had far too much pride to do so, I turned to Shizuru and asked,

"How did you know he was there? Your sense of smell is not nearly as developed as a youkai's?"

"_Why,"_ said Shizuru in a much put-upon voice "does everyone around here forget that I'm psychic? I'm even better than my brother, remember? Do I admit,I probably wouldn't have noticed it if I hadn't felt Hiei do that lurking trick before. Now I associate the muffled buzzing at the edges of my senses with him." She pointed her thumb at Hiei, who grunted and scowled even deeper.

"Did you get it?" I asked deciding to ignore Shizuru presence. The short youkai nodded and handed me an ornately carved square box. It was large but heavier than expected. I sat down on the landing and examined the box carefully, sensing for any traps or various placed upon it.

"What is it?" Shizuru asked.

"Something that will help me find my brother,"

"Where did Hiei get it from?" To my mild surprise the youkai in question answered.

"From a Reikai vault." He said with a smirk.

"You _stole_ it?"

"Only technically," I said, wincing "I intend to return it when I'm finished with it."

"Don't you guys remember what happened the _last_ time you stole something from a Reikai vault?" She said, exasperated.

I met Hiei's eyes. They held faint amusement in their crimson deepths.

"Yes. We ended up becoming Yusuke's allies and saving this world more than once."

"Somehow I think Koenma might not be as lenient this time." She muttered.

"What he does not know cannot hurt him," I said carefully, looking into her eyes.

"All right, all right. I won't say anything. Certainly not to Yusuke and I won't mention it to my brother. Now what's in the box?"

"Thank you," I said seriously. I carefully removed the boxes lit, having since nothing dangerous about it. Inside was a crystal ball, a little larger than my fist. It gleamed with a rainbow of colors in the moonlight.

"This is the Orb of Desire. It will show you whatever you desire him the most. For price, of course.

"There's a price?" Shizuru said incredulously.

"With these sorts of things, there generally is."

"What is it?"

"My life force." Shizuru's eyes went wide.

"You're not going to kill yourself."

"I shouldn't think so. I am more powerful now than I have ever been in my life. I am an A class youkai who has competed with the best of the best. I doubt this has the power to train me to death. But if I am wrong…"

I looked up to Hiei with pleading eyes. He nodded and I sighed in relief. He would find my brother if I perished. I closed my eyes briefly, lising to the crickets and breathing in the cool night air that smelled vaguely of flowers. Then, before Shizuru could try and stop me, I plunged my hand into the box and grasped the Orb in my hand.

And I screamed.


End file.
